Russian troops are exerting pressure on the Ukrainian army along the Dnipro River, as reported by the German news website Münchner Merkur citing ZDF.
The city of Avdiivka is at risk of encirclement. A wounded soldier told ZDF, “They are attacking all the time. We are losing a lot of soldiers. There is no strength left to fight them. They bombard us with artillery and drones.” Another soldier mentioned the lack of supplies and inadequate equipment, highlighting to the BBC the precarious situation in the southern delta of the Dnipro. Evidently, the situation of the Ukrainian army there is more tense than presented by Kyiv.
A soldier said, “We paid for most of our equipment ourselves – bought generators, power banks, and warm clothing. Now, as the frost comes, it will only get worse – the true situation is being concealed.” He also reported an attack on the banks of the Dnipro near Kherson, saying, “The entire river crossing is under constant bombardment. I saw boats with my comrades on board disappear in the water after being hit.”
It seems that large parts of the Ukrainian troops have reached a point of exhaustion. Military expert Prof. Carlo Masala from the Bundeswehr University Munich told ZDF, “The possibility of rotation is hardly given, with troop units only filled up to 60 percent on some days. This is an insanely great burden.” Other experts, including Dr. Christian Mölling from the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), also warn, urgently advising to equip Ukrainians with the prerequisites for a new offensive in 2024, as hesitation could have devastating consequences for Europe.
Image: Kremlin.ru, Putin at military exercises (2022) 02, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made)
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